Exhibit 10.1





Exhibit 10.1








16 December 2009




Mr. Douglas E Godshall

c/o HeartWare, Inc.

205 Newbury St., Suite 101

Framingham, MA 01701




Dear Doug:

We are pleased to offer you revised terms and conditions of your continuing employment with
HeartWare International, Inc. (the “Company”):



1. Position. Your title will be President & Chief Executive Officer of the Company. As such,
you will be responsible for, among other things, directing and leading Company and its executive
management team and otherwise perform such duties and responsibilities as are customarily assigned
to individuals serving in similar positions of other public companies. Without limitation, this
includes ultimate responsibility for the strategic direction, performance and execution of the
Company’s plans and strategies. You shall report directly to the Chairman of the Board of
Directors (the “Board”) of the Company. Your usual place of business will be at the Company’s
offices in Framingham, Massachusetts.



2. Compensation. Your base salary shall be at the annual rate of $425,000, payable in
accordance with the Company’s payroll policies as from time to time in effect (“Base Salary”).
Your Base Salary will be reviewed annually by the Board and may be increased by the Board in its
discretion. Your Base Salary shall not be subject to reduction without your prior written consent
except that if the Board reduces the salary of all senior managers of the Company, the Base Salary
shall be reduced by the same percentage as the percentage reduction in salary of such senior
managers.



3. Annual Bonus. The Company may pay you an annual cash bonus based on your performance
(which may be measured by specific goals), as determined by the Board in its discretion. The
Company shall pay the annual cash bonus for a calendar year, if at all, on or after January 1st,
but by no later than March 15th, of the next year. No annual cash bonus is guaranteed. Payment of
all annual bonuses rests in the sole discretion of the Board regardless of the achievement of
pre-specified goals, and you must be employed with the Company on the payment date in order to be
eligible to receive any such annual bonus.


 


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4. Vacation, Insurance and Benefits; Expenses.



(a) You shall be entitled to all legal holidays recognized by the Company, and 20 days of paid
vacation per annum. Any unused vacation shall be subject to Company policy as from time to time in
effect. Vacation days for the first fiscal year of your employment will be prorated.



(b) You shall be eligible for participation in any health, dental, and other insurance plans
that may be established and maintained by the Company from time to time for its employees of your
level, all as determined by the Board in its discretion. You shall also be entitled to participate
in any employee benefit programs that the Board may establish for Company employees generally,
including but not limited to health insurance, 401(k) Plan and
stock purchase or option plans. The Company’s employee benefit programs will be discussed
during your orientation.



(c) The Company shall reimburse you for all usual and ordinary business expenses incurred by
you in the scope of your employment hereunder in accordance with the Company’s expense
reimbursement policy as from time to time in effect. In addition, the Company shall reimburse you,
on a monthly basis after receipt of appropriate documentation of the expense, for the cost of your
personal cell phone service.




5. Severance Pay.



(a) If your employment is terminated by the Company without “Cause” (as defined below) or by
you for “Good Reason” (as defined below) other than in connection with a Change in Control (as
described below), and subject to the notice and release requirements described below, the Company
shall pay, beginning within 15 days after your termination of employment, (i) your Base Salary for
a period of 12 months, payable in accordance with the standard payroll practices then in effect for
active senior executives; and (ii) the employee portion of your COBRA continuation coverage (to the
extent that you elect coverage) for a period of 12 months or, if earlier, until you become entitled
to participate in another employer’s health plan.



(b) If your employment is terminated by the Company without “Cause” (as defined below) or by
you for “Good Reason” (as defined below) coincident with or within 18 months after a Change in
Control (as defined below), and subject to the notice and release requirements described below, the
Company shall cause to be paid, on or beginning within 15 days after your termination of
employment, (i) a lump-sum cash payment in an amount equal to 2 times your Total Salary; and (ii)
the employee portion of your COBRA continuation coverage (to the extent that you elect coverage)
for a period of 24 months or, if earlier, until you become entitled to participate in another
employer’s health plan. The severance pay provided under this Section 5(b) shall
supersede, and not be in duplication of, the severance pay provided under Section 5(a).
“Total Salary” means your then current Base Salary plus the most recent amount paid to you as your
Annual Bonus.


 


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(c) “Cause” means your: (i) material or persistent breach of this letter agreement; (ii)
engaging in any act that constitutes serious misconduct, theft, fraud, material misrepresentation,
serious dereliction of fiduciary obligations or duty of loyalty to the Company; (iii) conviction of
a felony, or a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a felony charge or any criminal act involving
moral turpitude or which in the reasonable opinion of the Board brings you, the Board, the Company
or any affiliate into disrepute; (iv) neglect of or negligent performance of your duties under this
letter agreement; (v) willful, unauthorized disclosure of material confidential information
belonging to the Company, or entrusted to the Company by a client, customer, or other third party;
(vi) repeatedly being under the influence of drugs or alcohol (other than prescription medicine or
other medically related drugs to the extent that they are taken in accordance with their
directions) during the performance of your duties under this letter agreement, or, while under the
influence of such drugs or alcohol, engaging in grossly inappropriate conduct during the
performance of your duties under this letter agreement; (vii) repeated failure to comply with the
lawful directions of your immediate supervisor or the Board
that are not inconsistent with the terms of this letter agreement; or (viii) actual engagement
in conduct that violates applicable state or federal laws governing the workplace that could
reasonably be expected to bring the Company or any affiliate into disrepute. In order for the
Company to terminate your employment for Cause under any of clauses (i), (iv), (vi) or (vii) in the
preceding sentence, the Company must provide you with written notice of its intention to terminate
employment for Cause and describing the acts or omissions upon which such termination for Cause is
based, and you shall be provided a 30-day period from the date of such notice within which to cure
or correct such acts or omissions if they are reasonably susceptible of cure or correction.




(d) “Good Reason” means the occurrence of any of the following without your consent:




(i) a material diminution in your Base Salary;




(ii) a material diminution in your authority, duties, or responsibilities;




(iii) a requirement that you report to a corporate officer or employee instead
of the Board;




(iv) a material diminution in the budget over which you retain authority.



Notwithstanding the above, no “Good Reason” exists unless (I) you notify the Company in writing
within 90 days after the initial existence of any condition listed above, and the Company fails to
cure the condition within 30 days after receiving notice, and (II) you terminate employment by no
later than 2 years after the initial existence of any condition listed above.



(e) A “Change in Control” means the earliest to occur of any of the following events,
construed in accordance with section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code:




(i) Any one Person or more than one Person Acting as a Group (each as defined
below) acquires, or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of
the most recent acquisition by such Person or Group, beneficial ownership of more
than a majority of the total fair market value or total voting power of the
then-outstanding securities of the Company;


 


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(ii) Any one Person or more than one Person Acting as a Group (each as defined
below) acquires, or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of
the most recent acquisition by such Person or Group, the assets of the Company that
have a total gross fair market value (as determined by the Board) of more than 50%
of the total gross fair market value of all of the assets of, as applicable, the
Company immediately prior to the initiation of the acquisition; or




(iii) A majority of the members of the board of directors of the Company is
replaced during any 12-month period by directors whose appointment or election is
not endorsed or approved by a majority of the members of the board who were members
of the board prior to the initiation of the replacement.



For purposes of this Section 5(e), a “Person” means any individual, entity or group within
the meaning of section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
other than (A) the Company, (B) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee
benefit plan of the Company, or (C) any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the
stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of
the Company. Persons will be considered to be “Acting as a Group” (or a “Group”) if they are
owners of a corporation that enters into a merger, consolidation, purchase or acquisition of stock,
or similar business transaction with the corporation. If a Person owns stock in both corporations
that enter into a merger, consolidation, purchase or acquisition of stock, or similar transaction,
such stockholder is considered to be Acting as a Group with other stockholders only with respect to
the ownership in that corporation before the transaction giving rise to the change and not with
respect to the ownership interest in the other corporation. Persons will not be considered to be
Acting as a Group solely because they purchase assets of the same corporation at the same time or
purchase or own stock of the same corporation at the same time, or as a result of the same public
offering.



For purposes of this Section 5(e), section 318(a) of the Internal Revenue Code applies to
determine stock ownership. Stock underlying a vested option is considered owned by the individual
who holds the vested option (and the stock underlying an unvested option is not considered owned by
the individual who holds the unvested option). For purposes of the preceding sentence, however, if
a vested option is exercisable for stock that is not substantially vested (as defined by Treasury
regulation section 1.83 3(b) and (j)), the stock underlying the option is not treated as owned by
the individual who holds the option.



(f) Your right to receive severance pay under this Section 5 is conditioned upon (i)
your signing and delivering to the Company, before any payment is due or scheduled to begin, a
general release of claims, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Company, by which you
release the Company from any claim arising from your employment by, or termination of employment
with, the Company, in consideration for the payment; and (ii) your compliance with Sections
7, 8, and 9 of this letter agreement. The Company shall make no payment before
the general release becomes effective upon the expiration of any applicable revocation period.


 


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(g) Although your employment may be terminated immediately by the Company at any time for any
reason, if your employment is terminated by the Company other than for Cause upon less than 90
days’ prior written notice of such termination, the Company agrees to pay you that portion of your
compensation attributable to the period for which the Company fails to satisfy the 90 day notice
requirement described above. Any such payment of compensation in lieu of notice will be paid in
accordance with the provisions of Section 5(a) or 5(b), as applicable. Any
termination of employment by you for any reason shall require 90 days’ prior written notice.



(h) Notwithstanding the above, on termination of your employment (for whatever reason) you
shall be entitled to receive the pro rata portion of your Base Salary through the date of your
termination, together with such compensation or benefits to which you may be entitled by law or
under the terms of the Company’s compensation and benefit plans in effect
including, without limitation, amounts owed to you for unpaid vacation leave accrued during
the course of your employment with the Company.




6. At Will Employment.



(a) This letter agreement describes the compensation and benefits that you are entitled to
receive for so long as you remain employed by the Company, but is not a contract or guarantee of
employment for any particular period of time. At all times you will remain an employee at will,
and you and the Company are free to terminate your employment at any time for any reason.



(b) Should your employment with the Company be terminated by the Company for Cause, by you
without Good Reason, or as a result of your death or permanent disability or other physical or
mental incapacity, you shall be entitled to receive only the prorated portion of your Base Salary
through the date of your termination of employment, together with such other compensation or
benefits to which you may be entitled by law, the terms of this letter agreement, or under the
terms of the Company’s compensation and benefit plans then in effect.



(c) Upon termination of your employment you shall at the request of the Board immediately
resign without claim for compensation from any directorship and / or office which you hold of the
Company or its subsidiaries or any affiliates. If you fail to provide such resignation, you
irrevocably appoint the Chairman of the Board as your attorney with the irrevocable right to sign
any document on your behalf for the purposes of, or to give effect to, your resignation under this
clause.




7. Noncompetition.



(a) You will not without the prior written consent of the Company during your employment
either directly or indirectly in any capacity (including without limitation as principal, agent,
partner, employee, stockholder, unit holder, joint venturer, director, trustee, beneficiary,
manager, consultant, or advisor) carry on, advise, provide services to or be engaged, concerned or
interested in or associated with any Competitive Business (as defined below), or be engaged or
interested in any public or private work or duties which in the reasonable opinion of the Board or
the Company, may hinder or otherwise interfere with the performance of your duties.


 


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(b) You will not at any time in the 12 months after the termination of your employment (for
whatever reason) without the written consent of the Company:




(i) on a worldwide basis directly or indirectly in any capacity (whether as
principal, agent, partner, employee, stockholder, unit holder, joint venturer,
director, trustee, beneficiary, manager, consultant, or advisor) carry on, advise,
provide services to or be engaged, concerned or interested in or associated with any
Competitive Business (as defined below); or




(ii) counsel, procure, or otherwise assist any person to do any of the acts
referred to in Section 7(b)(i).



Given that the business of the Company is and is expected to continue to be conducted on a
worldwide basis, and you will be actively involved with and intimately familiar with the business
of the Company on a worldwide basis, you acknowledge and agree that more narrow geographical
limitations of any nature on this noncompetition covenant (and the nonsolicitation covenant below)
are therefore not appropriate and would not adequately protect the Company.



Nothing in this Section 7(b) prohibits you (whether directly or through nominees) of
holding shares listed on a recognized stock exchange, provided you do not hold more than 5% of the
issued capital of a company.



(c) “Competitive Business” means any business or activity which is involved in the research,
development, sale, distribution and/or marketing of mechanical circulatory assist devices.



8. Nonsolicitation. During your employment with the Company and for 12 months after your
termination of employment (for whatever reason), you shall not, directly or indirectly, on your own
behalf or on behalf of any third party, without the express written consent of the Company:



(a) canvass, solicit, target, induce or entice or endeavor to solicit, target, induce or
entice away from the Company, or attempt to divert, reduce or take away, the business or patronage
(with respect to products or services of the kind or type developed, produced, marketed, furnished
or sold by the Company with which you were substantively involved during the course of your
employment with the Company) of, of any of the clients, customers, vendors, suppliers or accounts,
or prospective clients, customers, suppliers, vendors or accounts of the Company that you
contacted, solicited or served while employed by the Company or supplier to or in the habit of
dealing with the Company;



(b) target, recruit, solicit, hire away, or otherwise interfere with the employment
relationship of, or endeavor to entice away, any employee of the Company, or otherwise induce any
such employee to cease their relationship with the Company; or



(c) counsel, procure or otherwise assist any person to do any of the acts referred to in
Section 8(a) or (b).


 


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9. Nondisparagement. You shall not, while employed by the Company or at any time after your
termination of employment, directly, or through any other personal entity, make any public or
private statements that are disparaging of the Company, their respective businesses or employees,
officers, directors, or stockholders. The Company agrees that, after your termination of
employment with the Company for any reason, it will refrain from making any public statements that
disparage you. The Company’s obligations under this Section 9 extend only to the
then-current officers and members of the Board, and only for so long as those individuals are
officers or directors of the Company. Nothing herein shall be deemed to prevent you or the Company
from complying with their respective legal obligations or responding to a subpoena or other court
order.



10. Proprietary Information. Both during and after your employment with the Company, you will
treat all proprietary or other confidential information as strictly confidential. Further, you
agree to sign and comply with the terms and conditions of the enclosed Proprietary Information,
Confidentiality, and Inventions Assignment Agreement, which is incorporated by reference into
this letter agreement. This offer of continued employment is contingent upon your signing that
agreement.



11. Injunctive Relief: Clawback. You recognize and acknowledge that it would be difficult to
ascertain the damages arising from a breach or threatened breach of the covenants set forth in
Sections 7 (noncompetition), 8 (nonsolicitation), 9 (nondisparagement), and
10 (proprietary information) and that any such breach or threatened breach could result in
irreparable harm to the Company. You therefore agree that, notwithstanding anything in this letter
agreement to the contrary, including but not limited to the forfeiture and clawback provision
below, the Company shall have the right to an injunction or other equitable relief in any court of
competent jurisdiction, enjoining any such breach, without prior notice to you and without the
posting of a bond or other guarantee, to enforce this letter agreement. You hereby waive any and
all defenses you may have on the ground of lack of jurisdiction or competence of the court to grant
such an injunction or other equitable relief. The existence of this right shall not preclude any
other rights and remedies at law or in equity that the Company may have. The provisions of
Section 11 shall survive termination of this letter agreement and/or your employment with
the Company. The existence of a claim or cause of action of any kind by you against the Company
shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement by the Company of the rights provided in this
Section 11 and shall not be a defense to any injunction proceeding. In addition,
notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Board, in its discretion, determines that
you have engaged in any activity that contravenes any covenant set forth in Section 7,
8, 9 or 10, you shall forfeit any amount payable under Section 5
(severance pay), and you agree to repay the Company, within 30 days after you receive notice of the
Board’s determination, any amount previously paid by the Company under Section 5.



12. Blue Pencil; Severability. If any provision of this letter agreement is construed by a
court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, that construction does not affect
the remainder of this agreement, which is to be given full force and effect without regard to the
invalid or unenforceable provision. Any invalid or unenforceable provision is to be reformed to
the maximum time, geographic and/or business limitations permitted by applicable laws, so as to be
valid and enforceable.


 


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13. Waivers. No delay or omission by the Company in exercising any right under this letter
agreement operates as a waiver of that or any other right. The Company’s waiver or consent on any
one occasion is effective only for that occasion and is not be construed as a bar or waiver of any
right on any other occasion.



14. Federal Employment Law. Please note that Federal law requires you to provide the Company
with documentation of your identity and eligibility to work in the United States. In addition, the
Company verifies the validity of social security numbers. Accordingly, this offer is further
conditioned upon your providing the required documentation to the Company within three business
days after your start date. A list of the required documentation will be provided during your
orientation.



15. Prior Employers. By accepting this offer of employment, you are representing that you are
not party to any agreement with any prior employer that prevents your working for the Company or
that would prevent you from performing your assigned duties for the Company.



16. Background Check. The Company reserves the right to conduct a background check of its
employees, and your employment may be conditioned on satisfactory results.



17. Tax Withholding. The Company may withhold from any amounts payable under this letter
agreement such federal, state, local or foreign income and employment taxes as shall be required to
be withheld under applicable law.



18. Section 409A Compliance. The following rules relate to section 409A of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 and any regulations and Treasury guidance promulgated thereunder (“Section
409A”), which govern deferred compensation:



(a) This letter agreement is intended to comply with, or otherwise be exempt from, Section
409A.



(b) The Company shall undertake to administer, interpret, and construe this letter agreement
in a manner that does not result in the imposition on you of any additional tax, penalty, or
interest under Section 409A.



(c) The Company and you agree to execute any and all amendments to this letter agreement
permitted under applicable law, as mutually agreed in good faith, as may be necessary to ensure
that this letter agreement complies with Section 409A.



(d) The preceding provisions, however, shall not be construed as a guarantee by the Company of
any particular tax effect to you under this letter agreement. The Company shall not be liable to
you for any payment made under this letter agreement that is determined to result in an additional
tax, penalty, or interest under Section 409A, nor for reporting in good faith any payment made
under this letter agreement as an amount includible in gross income under Section 409A.


 


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(e) For purposes of Section 409A, the right to a series of installment payments under this
letter agreement shall be treated as a right to a series of separate payments.



(f) With respect to any reimbursement of expenses of, or any provision of in-kind benefits to,
you, as specified under this letter agreement, such reimbursement of expenses or provision of
in-kind benefits shall be subject to the following conditions: (i) the expenses eligible for
reimbursement or the amount of in-kind benefits provided in one taxable year shall not affect the
expenses eligible for reimbursement or the amount of in-kind benefits provided in any other taxable
year, except for any medical reimbursement arrangement providing for the reimbursement of expenses
referred to in section 105(b) of the Internal Revenue Code; (ii) the reimbursement of an eligible
expense shall be made no later than the end of the year after the year in which such expense was
incurred; and (iii) the right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits shall not be subject to
liquidation or exchange for another benefit.



(g) “Termination of employment,” or words of similar import, as used in this letter agreement
means, for purposes of any payments under this letter agreement that are payments of deferred
compensation subject to Section 409A, your “separation from service” as defined in Section 409A.



(h) If a payment obligation under this letter agreement arises on account of your separation
from service while you are a “specified employee” (as defined under Section 409A and determined in
good faith by the Board), any payment of “deferred compensation” (as defined under Treasury
regulation section 1.409A-1(b)(1), after giving effect to the exemptions in Treasury regulation
sections 1.409A-1(b)(3) through (b)(12)) that is scheduled to be paid within six months after such
separation from service shall accrue without interest and shall be paid within 15 days after the
end of the six-month period beginning on the date of such separation from service or, if earlier,
within 15 days after the appointment of the personal representative or executor of your estate
following your death.



19. Indemnification. Except in the case of negligence, fraud, embezzlement or
misrepresentation the Company hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Executive to the fullest
extent permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and to cause any parent or
subsidiary of the Company to indemnify and hold you harmless to the fullest extent permitted by the
provisions of the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation against any liability, loss or
expense (including reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred in defense of such claims)
incurred in connection with the your services as an officer or director of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries or affiliates, if in each of the foregoing cases, (i) you acted in good faith and
in a manner you believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Company, and, with
respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe your conduct was unlawful,
and (ii) your conduct did not constitute gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct. Without
limitation of the foregoing, this Section 19 shall be deemed to grant to the you the rights to
indemnification provided by the Company’s certificate of incorporation and by-laws, as currently
constituted, regardless of any subsequent amendment or modification of the applicable provisions of
such instruments, with such provisions being deemed incorporated herein by reference. The Company
shall advance or cause its subsidiaries to advance all expenses (including all reasonable legal
fees and expenses) reasonably incurred by you in defending any such claim, action or proceeding,
whether civil, administrative, criminal or otherwise, brought against you in your capacity as an
officer of director of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, to the fullest extent
permitted under applicable law, provided Executive provides an undertaking pursuant to which he
agrees to repay all such advances if it is ultimately determined that you are not entitled to
indemnification under the circumstances.


 


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Notwithstanding anything else contained in this letter agreement, the above shall not apply
where the liability, loss or expense (including reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred in
defense of such claims) incurred by you arise as a result, directly or indirectly, of any claim or
action taken against you by the Company or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates.



20. Successors, Binding Agreement. This letter agreement shall not be assignable by you.
This letter agreement may be assigned by the Company to any affiliate or to any other person that
is a successor in interest to all or substantially all of the business operations of the
Company. This letter agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the
parties hereto and their respective successors, heirs and permitted assigns.



21. Governing Law. This letter agreement shall be governed in all respects, including as to
validity, interpretation and effect, by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without
regard to its conflict of laws principles.



22. Entire Agreement, Amendments. This letter agreement, including the proprietary
information, confidentiality, and inventions assignment agreement incorporated herein by reference,
sets forth the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding your employment with the
Company and supersedes all prior agreements or other understandings, whether written or oral,
express or implied, between the parties to the extent that such agreements or understandings
contain provisions addressed herein. This letter agreement may not be amended or modified except
by a written agreement executed by the parties hereto or their respective successors and legal
representatives.



* * * *




To indicate your acceptance of these updated terms and conditions of your employment, please sign
and return the following to me no later than date that is one week after date of offer letter:




	 	•	 	one copy of this letter, and






	 	•	 	one copy of the Company’s standard Proprietary Information, Confidentiality, and
Inventions Assignment Agreement, the form of which is annexed hereto as Exhibit
A.




 


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This is a great opportunity for both you and the Company, and we look forward to having you
continue as a member on our team.



	 	 	 	 	 
	 	Sincerely,


HEARTWARE, INC.

 	 
	 	By:  	/s/ David McIntyre
 	 
	 	 	Name:  	David McIntyre 	 
	 	 	Title:  	Corporate Secretary, Chief Operating Officer & 

Chief Financial Officer 	 




Agreed to and accepted:



	 	 	 
	/s/ Douglas Godshall
	 	 
	 

Douglas E Godshall

	 	 






Dated: December 16, 2009





 


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Exhibit A




PROPRIETARY INFORMATION, CONFIDENTIALITY

AND INVENTIONS ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT




The undersigned, Douglas Godshall, in consideration of and as a condition of my engagement as
an employee of HeartWare Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), does hereby agree with the
Company as follows:



1. I will not, whether during or after the termination or for a period of five (5) years after
cessation of my employment, reveal to any person, association or company any of the trade secrets
or confidential information concerning the organization, business or finances of the Company so far
as they have come or may come to my knowledge, except as may be necessary in the course of my
duties for the Company or to the extent that such trade secrets or confidential information come to
be in the public domain through no fault of mine, or I am required to disclose such information as
a matter of law, including pursuant to court order, and I shall keep secret all matters entrusted
to me and shall not use or attempt to use any such information in any manner which could reasonably
be expected to injure or cause loss or may be calculated to injure or cause loss whether directly
or indirectly to the Company or for any purpose other than the performance of my duties on behalf
of the Company.



Further, I agree that during the period of my employment I shall not make, use or permit to be
used, even if not in the nature of a trade secret or otherwise marked confidential, any notes,
memoranda, drawings, specifications, programs, data, know how, trade secrets, or other materials of
any nature relating to any matter within the scope of the business of the Company or concerning any
of its dealings or affairs otherwise than for the benefit of the Company. I further agree that I
shall not, for a period of five (5) years after the termination of my employment, use or permit to
be used, even if not in the nature of a trade secret or otherwise marked confidential, any such
notes, memoranda, drawings, specifications, programs, data, know how, trade secrets, or other
materials, it being agreed that any of the foregoing shall be and remain the sole and exclusive
property of the Company and that immediately upon the termination or cessation of my employment I
shall deliver all of the foregoing, and all copies thereof, to the Company, at its main office.



2. If at any time or times during my employment, I shall (either alone or with others) make,
conceive, discover, reduce to practice or become possessed of any invention, modification,
discovery, design, development, improvement, process, formula, data, technique, know-how, secret or
intellectual property right whatsoever or any interest therein (whether or not patentable or
registrable under copyright or similar statutes or subject to analogous protection) (herein called
“Inventions”) in any application that relates to the business of the Company or any of the products
or services being developed, manufactured, marketed, sold or otherwise provided by the Company or
which may conveniently be used in relation therewith, or results from tasks assigned me by the
Company or results from the use of premises, equipment, supplies, facilities or confidential
information owned, leased or contracted for by the Company (“Company Inventions”), such Company
Inventions and the benefits thereof shall, from the moment of their creation or fixation in
tangible media, immediately become the sole and absolute property of the Company, and I shall
promptly disclose to the Company (or any persons
designated by it) each such Company Invention and hereby irrevocably and perpetually assign
any rights, including without limitation any patent, copyright or other intellectual property
rights, I may have or acquire in the Company Inventions and benefits and/or rights resulting
therefrom to the Company without compensation and shall communicate, without cost or delay, and
without publishing the same, all available information relating thereto (with all necessary plans
and models) to the Company. I hereby further represent and acknowledge that any and all such
Company Inventions made, conceived, discovered or reduced to practice prior to the date hereof,
whether or not I am the named inventor, are owned solely by the Company, and that I have no right,
title or interest therein, and I agree that upon the request of the Company, and without any
compensation to me, I will take such action and execute such documents as the Company may request
to evidence and perfect the Company’s ownership of such Company Inventions.




 


 









 







I will also promptly disclose to the Company any Invention made, conceived, discovered,
reduced to practice or possessed by me (either alone or with others) at any time or times during my
employment for the purpose of determining whether they constitute “Company Inventions,” as defined
herein.



Upon disclosure of each Company Invention to the Company, I will, at the request and cost of
the Company, sign, execute, make and do all such deeds, documents, acts and things as the Company
and its duly authorized agents may reasonably require:




(a) to apply for, obtain and vest in the name of the Company alone (unless the Company
otherwise directs) letters patent, copyrights or other analogous protection for any such
Company Invention in any country throughout the world and when so obtained or vested to renew
and restore the same; and




(b) to defend any opposition proceedings in respect of such applications and any
opposition proceedings or petitions or applications for revocation of such letters patent,
copyright or other analogous protection.



In the event the Company is unable, after reasonable effort, to secure my signature on any
letters patent, copyright or other analogous protection relating to a Company Invention, whether
because of my physical or mental incapacity or for any other reason whatsoever, I hereby
irrevocably designate and appoint the Company and its duly authorized officers and agents as my
agent and attorney-in-fact (which designation and appointment shall be (i) deemed coupled with an
interest and (ii) irrevocable, and shall survive my death or incapacity), to act for and in my
behalf and stead to execute and file any such application or applications and to do all other
lawfully permitted acts to further the prosecution and issuance of letters patent, copyright or
other analogous protection thereon with the same legal force and effect as if executed by me.



In addition to the foregoing assignment of Company Inventions to the Company, I hereby
irrevocably transfer and assign to the Company: (i) all worldwide patents, patent applications,
copyrights, mask works, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights in any Company
Invention; and (ii) any and all “Moral Rights” (as defined below) that I may have in or with
respect to any Company Invention. I also hereby forever waive and agree never to assert any and
all Moral Rights I may have in or with respect to any Company Invention, even after termination of
my work on behalf of the Company. “Moral Rights” mean any rights to claim authorship of an
Invention, to object to or prevent the modification of any Invention, or to withdraw from
circulation or control the
publication or distribution of any Invention, and any similar right, existing under judicial
or statutory law of any country in the world, or under any treaty, regardless of whether or not
such right is denominated or generally referred to as a “moral right.”


 


 









 





3. I agree that any breach, or threatened breach, of this Agreement by me could cause
irreparable damage and that in the event of such breach, or threatened breach, the Company shall
have, in addition to any and all remedies of law, the right to an injunction, specific
performance as well as all other equitable relief, to prevent the violation of my obligations
hereunder without the necessity of any proof of actual damages or the posting of a bond or other
security.



4. I understand that this Agreement, by itself, does not create an employment agreement with
the Company or other obligation on the part of the Company to retain my services as an employee.



5. I represent that the Inventions identified in the pages, if any, attached hereto comprise
all the Inventions which I have made or conceived prior to my engagement by the Company, which
Inventions are excluded from this Agreement. I understand that it is only necessary to list the
title of such Inventions and the purpose thereof but not details of the Invention itself. IF THERE
ARE ANY SUCH UNPATENTED INVENTIONS TO BE EXCLUDED, THE UNDERSIGNED SHOULD INITIAL HERE. OTHERWISE
IT WILL BE DEEMED THAT THERE ARE NO SUCH EXCLUSIONS.      



I further represent that I am free to enter into an employment relationship with the Company,
and my performance of all the terms of this Agreement, and my performance as an employee of the
Company, does not and will not breach any agreement with a third party, including but not limited
to any agreement to keep in confidence proprietary information acquired by me in confidence or in
trust prior to my engagement by the Company. I have not entered into, and I agree I will not enter
into, any agreement either written or oral in conflict herewith. I further agree to indemnify the
Company to the extent it is made a party to any lawsuit based upon my violation of any such
agreement.



I further represent that if the representations set forth in the preceding paragraph are
inapplicable, I have attached hereto a copy of each agreement, if any, which presently affects my
compliance with the terms of this Agreement (such copy specifies the other contracting party or
employer, the date of such agreement, the date of termination of any employment.) IF THERE ARE ANY
SUCH AGREEMENTS, THE UNDERSIGNED SHOULD INITIAL HERE. OTHERWISE IT WILL BE DEEMED THAT THERE ARE
NO SUCH AGREEMENTS.      



I further represent that I have or will return all property, including documents,
memoranda, software or other record containing information belonging to my former employer(s) and
will not bring any such materials to the Company’s premises or otherwise use any such material in
performing work for the Company. I further agree to indemnify the Company to the extent it is made
a party to any lawsuit based upon my violation of this representation.



6. Any waiver by the Company of a breach of any provisions of this Agreement shall not operate
or be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach hereof.


 


 









 





7. I hereby agree that each provision herein shall be treated as a separate and independent
clause, and the unenforceability of any one clause shall in no way impair the enforceability of any
of the other clauses herein. Moreover, if one or more of the provisions contained in this
Agreement shall for any reason be held to be excessively broad as to scope, activity or subject so
as to be unenforceable at law, such provision or provisions shall be construed by the appropriate
judicial body by limiting and reducing it or them, so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible
with the applicable law as it shall then appear.



8. My obligations under this Agreement shall survive the termination or cessation of my
employment regardless of the manner of such termination or cessation and shall be binding upon my
heirs, executors and administrators.



9. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.



10. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “employment” shall also mean any period of
consultancy with the Company that may follow formal employment by the Company.



11. The term “Company” shall include HeartWare Inc., a Delaware corporation, HeartWare
Limited, as Australian corporation, and any of their predecessors, successors, parents,
subsidiaries, subdivisions, affiliates or assigns. The parties agree that the Company shall have
the right to assign this Agreement to its successors and assigns, and all covenants and agreements
hereunder shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by said successors or assigns, without
requiring Executive to renew this Agreement or execute a new Agreement reflecting the terms
contained herein.



IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Agreement as of the 16th day of
December, 2009.



	 	 	 	 	 
	 	HEARTWARE INC.

 	 
	 	By:  	/s/ David McIntyre
 	 
	 	 	Title:	Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer 	 
	 	 	Name: 	David McIntyre 	 



	 	 	 	 	 
	 	EMPLOYEE:

 	 
	 	Name: 	 /s/ Douglas Godshall
 	 
	 	 	Name:  	Douglas Godshall